Love Lasts Forever and Always
by ayame-angel
Summary: After about 2 months since Shishio died, a mysterious girl meets up with Soujiro, asking him to lead her to Kenshin. With extreme obligation, Soujiro does as she asks. But this strange girl knows more about everything and everyone than anyone should, and
1. The Meeting

For FanFiction.NET : Username: ayame_angel  
  
Title: Love Lasts Forever  
  
Summary: After about 2 months since Shishio died, a mysterious girl meets up with Soujiro, asking him to lead her to Kenshin. With extreme obligation, Soujiro does as she asks. But this strange girl knows more about everything and everyone than anyone should, and among the confusion, suddenly a love emerges.  
  
Author's Note: My Name is Ayame, as is one of the main characters. This was only because I'm not very good at thinking of names.  
  
Chapter One: The Meeting  
  
It had been almost 2 months since Shishio-sama died. Seta Soujiro was on his journey of 10 years to find his path in life. He was always thinking of the battle with Himura. 'How? How could he have been right all these years? 'The strong survive, and the weak die.' That was my way of life. The teaching from Shishio-sama. How could he have been wrong?' By now, Soujiro had gotten to a more important question. 'Was he..was Shishio-sama..was he using me? No! He couldn't have!, but...but then why? Why didn't he protect me? I have heard talk about Shishio-sama since his death. They all were pretty much true. How he was a ruthless murderer, and how he planned to take over Japan. But one story stuck out to me. One story..about a boy. A young boy that Shishio used. Used to gain power and install more fear into the people. Could they have been talking about me?'  
  
While thinking this, he walked into a small village. The same reaction. Everyone running away. Children hiding behind they're parents. All because he was carrying his sword. Everyone knew that this was illegal these days, but that didn't matter to those who possessed the skill to use them properly. He passed a few people, turned the corner and stopped. There standing in front of him was a girl, about his age, wearing a lilac kimono. She had short wavy dark brown hair and the most beautiful eyes. But that wasn't what stopped him. He stopped because she didn't. Unlike everyone else in the village, she stood there, smiling. She then started to walk up to him. She never stopped smiling. When she stood in front of him, everyone in the village gathered. Everyone wanted to see what kind of idiot would walk up to a man with a sword. "Greetings. I have been waiting for you Soujiro-kun." Soujiro's eyes widened. He looked around. Everyone was still staring. The girl also noticed. "Shall we have this conversation in a more private enviorment?" She gave the villagers a look that made them all turn away, but Soujiro didn't see it. She turned back to face him, still smiling. He nodded and walked with her down to a stream near the village. Her smile intrigued him. It reminded him of himself.  
  
"How is it you know who I am? I don't think we've ever met before." She smiled. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question. Fore, in truth, I do not know myself." Soujiro was starting to get annoyed. "That is hard to believe." "That may be so, but it is not up to me whether you believe it or not." Her smiled never faded. "Then let me ask you this; Who are you? And what is it you want of me?" "My name is Ayame. Shinta Ayame. I have a difficult favor to ask you." For once, her smile tuned into more of a pondering look. "Well?" "I want you to lead me to someone. Someone who you do not wish to see." Soujiro's eyes widened once again. "Who is this you speak of?" There was a small hint of fear in his voice. But no one would ever notice. No one, but Ayame. "He is a great warrior." She paused and took a deep breath. "The man who convinced you to go on this journey. Himura Kenshin."  
  
End Of Chapter One. 


	2. The Decision

Ending of Last Chapter: "I want you to lead me to someone. Someone who you do not wish to see. The man who convinced you to go on this journey. Himura Kenshin."  
  
Chapter Two: The Decision  
  
Soujiro was speechless. He didn't know how to react. No one knew about him. No one knew he had met Himura. No one knew he went on this journey. But somehow, she did. And she stood there, smile gone, replaced with a desperate yearning look. It was as if she were looking into his soul. That's when he started to panic. 'Is she a spy?! How long has she been following me?! How come no one ever noticed her?!' He Quickly drew his sword. She stayed calm and never moved an inch. "I understand this is shocking and confusing for you, but there is no need to attack me." She said this with a look of deep thought and some relaxation in her voice. 'Isn't she scared? If she knows this much about me, wouldn't she know to be afraid?' But she just stood there. Her eyes never moving away from him. Soujiro decided to ask her some more questions while he had the chance.  
  
"Why do you want ME to lead you to him?" Her smile came back. "For many reasons. I need to meet with him, but I'm not all that familiar with the route to Tokyo, so I thought you might be able to help me." "And WHY would I want to help you?" Soujiro kept his sword pointing to her. "Well, I figured it would give you a chance to get to know me, and maybe find the answers to some of your questions about me." She walked up to him so they were face to face, obviously not afraid of his sword, and she looked him straight in the eyes with a huge grin on her face. She took her finger and ran it down his face. "After all, you are a bit intrigued aren't you?" Soujiro was shocked. He had never been this close to anyone. And her skin was so soft. He liked the feeling, but he quickly moved away, disturbed by his own thoughts. She giggled. Soujiro put back his sword. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he trusted her. Even though it went against all his instincts, he actually wanted to go with her, if only it wasn't to meet with Himura. Soujiro sat down on a rock nearby. Ayame sat beside him on the ground. He watched the water flow down the stream, while she watched him and his every movement.  
  
They sat there for what seemed like seconds, but by that time it was getting dark. Ayame obviously noticed this. "I do not expect an answer right away, but I would like you to come with me. It is getting dark, and I have a place for you to rest, and some food for you." Soujiro noticed his stomach was aching. He hadn't eating in almost three days. He figured he might aswell accept her offer. Something about her made him feel relaxed, and if he decided not to take her to Tokyo, he could leave in the night. "Alright. I'll come." She smiled once again. She took him down the stream, to a forest, where a small cabin was built. She opened the door and let him inside.  
  
It was a cozy place. It was decorated with many things. There were scrolls on the walls, along with other scriptures he could not understand, but recognized them as English letters. There was a small table in the middle of the room, and in the corner was a futon. It seemed like an average cabin, until he saw what lie on the other side of the room. There were all kinds of weapons. Guns, swords, knives, axes, and spears. But what caught his eye the most, was the collection of staffs. She had all different colors, sizes, and designs. This drove him to be even more curious about her now. She saw him looking at her collection. "I have collected these over the years. Most of them I took from my opponents. They would have no need for them after any way." He looked at her with disbelief. She didn't seem like a fighter. She wore a kimono after all! He thought she must be joking, but then he saw the seriousness in her eyes. He knew she was not lying. She reached into her kimono, and pulled out a stick. It was small in length, and had some writing engraved in it. She flipped it around until it suddenly extended into a full staff. "This is my favourite. I use it the most." He studied it carefully. It showed no sign of ever being a small stick. He looked at the writing on it. It read: 'Love. Help. Leave.' Next to that it had 'Ayame' written, and beside that was more of what he saw was English. "You have English all around your home, but do you know any of it?" "Why yes I do. I'll tell you about it. Please sit."  
  
End of Chapter Two. 


	3. Belief

End of Last Chapter: "You have English all around your home, but do you know any of it?" "Why yes I do. I'll tell you about it. Please sit."  
  
Author's Note: From the next chapter on, there might be some confusion. The characters are 'supposedly' speaking Japanese, but obviously I'm writing the story in English. But from now on, some characters will speak certain words and/or phrases in 'supposedly' English. To notify you of when the 'English' is said, I will put it like this: #sample# . That is to tell you the word sample is said in English. Thanks and keep reading! Oh, and sorry if this seems a bit off the starting topic, but trust me, it's not.  
  
Chapter Three: Belief  
  
Soujiro takes a seat next to the table, and Ayame next to him. "Soujiro-kun, would you believe me if I told you that I was born and raised in Japan, but my first words were English?" 'My god, is she joking?', he thought to himself. He decided he wouldn't get on her bad side just yet. "Depends on how believable you say it." Ayame smiled slightly. Then stopped. She could easily tell he didn't believe her. She then reached in her kimono and pulled out a small dagger and inched closer to him. "Then let me ask you this." She paused. "Do you believe that love and hate are just as powerful as any blade? That they can determine the fate of someone's life as can a sword?" She looked him in the eye, and with the dagger in her right hand, she raised her other and placed it on his cheek. "Love." She lowered her hand down to his arm just below his shoulder and squeezed it. Hard. But not that hard, just enough so that it hurt. "Hate." She then lowered her hand again until it reached his. She took the dagger that she was still holding and ran it across the top of his hand so that it made a smooth cut. It shed blood, but only one drop. It ran down his hand and she caught it with her finger. "Blade." She then took the dagger upon her own hand and made another smooth cut. It was exactly the same in every aspect, but it drew no blood. Instead, she took the drop from Soujiro's hand and wiped it across the wound. The instant after touch, it healed leaving no scab nor scar. As Soujiro watched in disbelief, Ayame continued. "Until you truly believe this, you wont believe a word I say or anything that happens, and nothing will change." Soujiro made sure his eyes never left her. 'What is she?! How can she..?' Ayame then jabbed the dagger in the table, stood up, and walked over to the door. "I will be back in a minute." Then she was gone.  
  
Soujiro pulled the dagger from the table and examined it closely. It was a magnificent article. It had a black stone handle with carved squirrels in it. 'Squirrels?' With a shrug, he looked down to the actual blade. It had no trace of blood. 'How..' He examined his hand. It was impossible. There was no cut. No cut, scab, or scar. Just like Ayame's. 'This is weird. Maybe I shouldn't trust her.' Even with this thought in his mind, he knew he would do exactly the oppisite.  
  
End Of Chapter  
  
Author's Comment: OOOH!!! Suspense!! I hope you all found this chapter very interesting! And it will keep getting more and more throughout the story! Teehee! Please review! 


	4. An Interrupting Visitor

End Of Last Chapter: Ayame then jabbed the dagger in the table, stood up, and walked over to the door. "I will be back in a minute." Then she was gone.  
  
Chapter Four: An Interrupting Visitor  
  
After a couple minutes, Ayame walked back in the room with some food. She lay it all on the table. "Let's eat.", was all she said. During the meal, Soujiro kept glancing at her, but not wanting her to notice. No matter though, 'cause it didn't work. He knew it too. She had such concentration, such awareness of everything. And her eyes. The most amazing eyes he had ever seen. They were mostly green, but with hints of blue, grey, and hazel in them, and they had a dark green rim around them. He couldn't stop looking at her eyes. More plainly spoken, he couldn't stop looking at her. She was pretty much average looking, but not to him. To Soujiro, she was drop dead gorgeous. The way her hair bounced when she moved, and how her kimono fitted so perfectly along her figure. Soujiro grew frustrated with these thoughts. He had never noticed these things about a girl before! He never felt so..so..he couldn't describe it. He felt like holding her and never letting go, but at the same time, he greatly respected her. He didn't dare upset or anger her. He hated the feeling! He felt so controlled! But, only by his own thoughts! His frustration grew with every moment and she knew it. But she was having her own dilemma. 'He's freaked out. I probably scared him. But I had to do it. He had to have some guidance didn't he? And I need him to come. No matter what.' But those weren't her only thoughts. She was watching him aswell. The way his face looked when he was upset, ever since he lost the smile routine. She noted that he still did it often, but not now. She looked at his hands. Those slim elegant hands. The hands of a perfect killer they once were. Still hands of a killer, but not as perfect as before. But she was glad for that. She didn't know how she would get him to lead her to Kenshin with his attitude towards life in a mess.  
  
Just in the middle of they're thoughts, there was a knock on the door, and a voice that followed. It was a man, Soujiro knew that. But he couldn't understand what he was saying. The only thing he recognized was Ayame's name being said. #Ayame? Ayame are you home?# "Excuse me for a moment" She went and opened the door. There stood a man, probably in his late 30's, and he wore business clothing. WESTERN business clothing. #Ayame! Good! I didn't know if you were home! I've come with your paycheck.# #Thank you Mr.Garrison.# #Oh no problem! You well deserve it!# Soujiro sat there, almost unnoticed. He didn't understand anything they were saying. But he knew one thing for sure. They were speaking English. 'She was telling the truth! She does know English! But, who is this man? And why is he here?' The man named Mr.Garrison noticed Soujiro sitting there. #Who's this fellow?# #This is my guest, Soujiro.# At the mentioning of his name, Soujiro tried harder to understand what they were saying through they're motions. Mr.Garrison tried to speak to him. He wasn't very good though. "Heero Soujiro. Nise to meet you." Soujiro replied with a simple "Same to you." He looked curiously at Ayame. "I teach the westerners Japanese for money. He's not very good, but he always wants to learn more. It helps him with his business trades." "..I see." Mr.Garrison turned back to Ayame. #When will my next lesson be Miss?# #I'm afraid I won't be able to teach you anymore for quite awhile.# #Oh?!# #I'm going to Tokyo to meet some friends.# #Oh well, I'll sure miss you! Have fun!# #Thank you. Good-bye.# She closed the door. Soujiro just looked at her in astonishment. Her smile came back. Just a little bit. She sat back down. "I'm..I'm sorry.." But Ayame cut him off. "Nevermind that. Now it's getting late so I'll grab my things and leave you to rest." Soujiro was puzzled. "I should be the one sleeping outside." She laughed. "Silly Sou-kun! Didn't you see the shed out back?" At that, he began to blush. A LOT. He didn't know why, but the sound of her calling him 'Sou- kun' made his heart race. He noticed his face getting hot and tried to hide it. She noticed that too, but decided not to embarrass him. "I'll be sleeping in the shed. No need to worry. Anyway, I have my staff." She pulled out the short stick of a staff that she had shown him before. He hadn't even notice her put it away. "But still, I'll sleep in the shed." "No you won't." Her face was stern. "You are my guest. I shall not have you sleep in the shed. Anyway, if you did, I could easily lock you in there. That would leave you no option of leaving in the middle of the night if you choose to decline my request." She smiled again. She smiled so often. Maybe something was bothering her too, he thought. 'Wait. She's allowing me to go if I want to? Even when she needs me to take her? Why?' Ayame grabbed her things, which were mostly all in a hidden cabinet holding up some weapons. She gave him a long look, as if she wanted to say something. He wanted to say something. But he didn't know what. After a long moment, she spoke. "Goodnight Sou-kun. Pleasant dreams." At the last part she smiled, and then she left.  
  
'Sou-kun...' He repeated her voice in his head. It sounded so natural now. He sat there for a few minutes reviewing everything that had happened in the day. She wanted him to take her to Himura. How was he supposed to do that?! He absolutely didn't want to go see him. Not now. Not so soon. He kept thinking of how he would leave in the night. 'Maybe I should leave a note.' He thought of many things he could do, but he knew even if he tried, he wouldn't leave. Something was holding him back. Something...strong. And with that, he fell asleep.  
  
End Of Chapter Foure hated the 


	5. Pleasant Dreams

End Of Last Chapter: He thought of many things he could do, but he knew even if he tried, he wouldn't leave. Something was holding him back. Something...strong. And with that, he fell asleep.  
  
Chapter Five: Pleasant Dreams  
  
Soujiro had a terrible sleep that night. He kept tossing and turning and sweating through his sheets. His head was spinning with every thought that entered his mind. It went a little like this...  
  
Soujiro watched from afar as he saw himself in Shishio-sama's hideout. And he was battling with Himura. 'I can beat him so easily. This can't be the Legendary Battousai.' Himura's skills were amazing, but nothing compared to his former skills, and nothing compared to Soujiro. He watched as Himura spoke nonsense to him about protecting the weak. That's exactly what it was. Nonsense. But he spoke of it as if he truly believed it. 'Why would he risk his life to protect the weak?' He watched himself grow more and more frustrated with every word that man said. He heard himself say the same thing over and over. 'Why? If what you say is true, then why? Why didn't you protect me?!' He watched as his skills weakened as his anger grew. But, he also saw something else. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but it seemed...it seemed as if Himura were trying to...help him. He saw Himura's eyes grow with concern as Soujiro grew more stressed, and he saw the obligation Himura had when he finally won the match. 'He was...he was concerened?? Why?! Why would he care about his opponent?!'  
  
Soujiro's mind wandered to another scene. He was walking down a path. The same path he walked on to enter the village. He listened as he heard himself think. 'I have heard talk about Shishio-sama since his death. They all were pretty much true. But one story stuck out to me. One story..about a boy. A young boy that Shishio used. Used to gain power and install more fear into the people. Could they have been talking about me?' Soujiro watched as he entered the village. Again, he wasn't surprised when the people ran away from him. He saw himself turn the corner and stop. He saw Ayame standing there, smiling. He listened as she spoke. "Greetings. I have been waiting for you Soujiro-kun." She had known his name. How? He briefly remembered her saying something along the lines of not knowing the reason herself. His mind fast forwarded again.  
  
They were in her cabin. She had the dagger in her hand. He remembered this. "Do you believe that love and hate are just as powerful as any blade? That they can determine the fate of someone's life as can a sword?" He watched as she performed her examples. "Love." "Hate." "Blade." "Until you truly believe this, you wont believe a word I say or anything that happens, and nothing will change." What had she meant? "..you wont believe a word I say or anything that happens, and nothing will change." She was right about the first part. He hadn't believed her. Not until she did the impossible, but then, she HAD done it, so..was it really that impossible? "..or anything that happens.." She was right again. He hadn't believed what had happened. He had thought it was a trick. But he had felt the blade cut him. He had seen the blood run off his hand, and he had seen the cut vanish. But the question was 'did he really believe it had happened?' He thought about that for a moment. She was a strange girl. Very strange, but he sensed something about her. Something that led him to believe what he saw was true. "..and nothing will change." What had she meant by that? Was she telling some kind of prophecy? Nothing will change? What would have changed in the first place?  
  
Ayame didn't sleep that well either. She had another one of those strange dreams. But these dreams were more than just strange. She had always thought she was different, but these dreams made her believe she was more than just different. Just like the dreams, she was....abnormal.  
  
Soujiro awoke startled. He was gasping and was covered in sweat. It took him a moment to put everything into place. 'It's ok. I remember now. I'm at Ayame's house.' He paused. 'Wait! I'm at Ayame's house?' It didn't really surprise him though. He knew he wasn't going to leave. While thinking that, he heard something. Something....something that sounded beautiful. He listened harder. It was someone..someone singing. It was a wonderful tune. 'But what would someone be singing outside for at this time?' Soujiro looked around and laughed at himself. The sun was already up. He quickly got up and headed outside. The sun was bright today. He looked around and saw a beautiful bunch of flowers growing around the house that he hadn't noticed the other night. He walked around to the back of the house by the stream and saw Ayame sitting there on a boulder. She was the one singing. But it wasn't anything Soujiro understood. He figured she was singing in English. He walked towards her. She saw him and stopped singing. "Good Morning Soujiro-kun." She had said his full name this time. He just nodded. "I'm sorry if I woke you." "No, no you didn't wake me." Ayame noticed he was all flustered. "Why don't you go rinse your face in the stream? It's always very refreshing. I do it every morning." "Alright." He walked to the stream and knelt down. Ayame watched silently as he splashed himself with the cool water. "I 'm guessing you have decided to accept my request?" Soujiro stood up and looked at her. He thought about it for a minute. Finally he decided. "Yes. Yes, I'll bring you to him." He watched as her face light up with joy. "Oh Thank You Sou-kun!!!" She ran up to him and gave him a hug. He didn't know what to do, so he just stood there. 'She does the most bold things', he thought to himself, but this thought was interrupted when he noticed something else. His face went scarlet red. He had never been hugged before. Not by a girl, not by anyone. He liked the feeling. Suddenly she let go. "Oh Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I'm so glad you've decided to come!" She said this straight from her heart. She really did, and she tried to show a lot of surprise in her reaction, but she wasn't really surprised at all. She knew he would come. And she wasn't joking when she said she knew he would come.  
  
End Of Chapter 


	6. Her Story Part One

End Of Last Chapter: "Oh Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I'm so glad you've decided to come!" She said this straight from her heart. She really did, and she tried to show a lot of surprise in her reaction, but she wasn't really surprised at all. She knew he would come. And she wasn't joking when she said she knew he would come.  
  
Chapter Six: Her Story- Part One  
  
Ayame had already had everything packed. Soujiro wondered if she was certain he would say yes. So Soujiro grabbed his things, and the started their trip to Tokyo. They had already been walking for half an hour, and neither one said much. Ayame would stop and gaze at the beautiful landscape, vowing to keep it in her memory forever. She would stop and point at things she saw and every so often she would ask him something to start a conversation, but they both knew Soujiro was having a hard time making the trip. Not that he wasn't able to, but because he didn't really want to. He kept imagining what Himura would say when they met again. He was trying to plan something to say. Something to keep them at their different ends of the line, but whatever he would come up with, he figured it wasn't gonna work. Finally, he decided to think about something else. His mind went to one thought in particular. How Ayame had said she didn't know how she knew him, and then another thought. She claims to be a fighter, and she has those unique weapons of hers. (He was referring to the short stick staff and the dagger.) If she is a skilled fighter, where did she learn it? He decided to try asking her questions again. "Ayame- chan...why is it that you want to meet with Himura?" She smiled her well known smile. "For many reasons. Oh, and please call me 'Ayame-san' because 'Ayame-chan' is a little girl who lives at the dojo." "Oh, I'm sorry." "No need. I was just letting you know for future use. But going back to your question, why do you ask?" "...I..I just was curious since you were so eager on me taking you." She laughed. "Good Answer." She paused. They both did that a lot when speaking. "The main reason I want you to take me to Kenshin is not at all simple. It overlaps with many other reasons, so I'm afraid I can't answer that one now, but you will know soon enough." Another pause. "Are there any other questions you would like to ask me? Anything else you're curious about?" He thought of all the things he wanted to ask her. He finally chose one. "You have an assorted collection of weapons, and you said you've taken them from your past victories, but where did you learn to fight?" Her smile went a bit wider. "You sure think a lot about things." She laughed. "The answer to that question begins with a long story. Would you like to hear it?" He nodded. "Alright."  
  
Her Story..  
  
"It all started as soon as I was born. My parents were delighted to finally have a child to call their own, but after awhile, they started having doubts." She looked at Soujiro. He was listening with extreme concentration. She continued. "Right away, my parents thought I was different. I was extremely strong and could walk at age one. They were glad I could walk at that age, but they weren't so happy about me being so strong. The villagers would tell them how it was awful for a young child, a young girl more specifically, to be so strong. They thought it was bad luck. The second thing that bothered them, was I didn't look at all like they did. I can't remember what they actually looked like, but I know it wasn't the same as me. They also noticed how laid-back I was. How I wouldn't go over and play with the other children. I would go and watch the birds and the animals, or go sit in solitude. That worried them. But what finally scared them happened when I was two. They were trying to teach me to speak. They would show me something and say the name of it, and I would say something totally different. They thought I might just be a little bit stupid, but one day while walking me down the street, a westerner approached us. She was quite taken by, as she claimed, how 'cute' I was. Then it happened. I spoke. Not that I hadn't before, but this time they knew I had actually said something. I had said 'pretty'. I had pointed to her dress and said 'pretty'. At first they just recognized it as the nonsense I would speak to them, but then they saw the look on the woman's face and figured something was wrong. She yelled at her husband to come over. When he reached us she looked at him and said 'This Asian child speaks English!' He didn't believe her at first, but then she looked at me and pointed to her dress. I said it again. 'Pretty'. The man was just as shocked as everyone else, because by that time, they had figured that the foreigners understood me. Everyone quickly brought me and the foreigners to the town translator. He assured it. I had spoken English. When my parents found that out, they quickly took me home. They spent hours deciding what they should do. At the end of that time, the wise woman of the village came over to visit me. She had brought me presents. I was delighted to have presents, but they weren't the kind my parents were expecting. She had brought me my staff and my dagger. My parents didn't think it was wise to give a child so young these things, but the woman gave them to me anyway. They were shocked to see that I did not cut or hurt myself in any way. I had complete knowledge of how to use them. That made it final. During the night, my parents wrapped me in a big blanket and my presents from the woman. My father then took me to a town far from the one I had known. When we reached it, I was asleep, and he lay me next to a closed door. He gave me a kiss, and prayed for me. Then he left. He went back to his home. And he left me there. At a doorway in the middle of the street in the late night."  
  
To Be Continued.....  
  
Author's Note: OOOH!! Wasn't that interesting?!?!?! Keep reading to find out more of Ayame's past. There's A LOT more, so there might even be three parts to it! Oh, and sorry about the "To be continued" thing. I hate those endings too, but when you think about it, it makes you want to find out what happens next! Sooooo..Find out what happens next! Thanks for reading! 


	7. Her Story Part Two

End Of Last Chapter: "And he left me there. At a doorway in the middle of the street in the late night."  
  
Chapter Seven: Her Story- Part Two  
  
Ayame looked at Soujiro. She could quite easily tell that he felt badly for her. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine now." Soujiro just nodded. "There is more to it all, but if you don't want to hear it, it's fine with me." "No, it's quite alright. Please go on." "Ok."  
  
Her Story- Part Two...  
  
"During the night, a police officer walked by and saw me in the doorway. He picked me up and decided to take me to his home. He honestly didn't know what to do with me, but he knew he couldn't just leave me there. When he arrived home with me, his wife instantly decided that they would raise me. The officer's name was Shiguro. I called him Gu. His wife's name was Kikira. When they saw my staff, they knew my name was Ayame, and decided not to give me a last name, but instead choose one for myself when I got older. They both took excellent care of me, and since Shiguro was actually the chief of police in the town, he knew some English, and with that they taught me Japanese." She paused and laughed a little before continuing. "They were so surprised to find out how strong I was, and that I could handle weapons easily, so in a few years Shiguro decided I could have a small part in the force." She smiled. "The whole town loved me, 'cause I was also extremely fast and agile, so I caught all the crooks. But..." She stopped for a moment. "But one day Gu told me I couldn't help any more. I was upset at first, but I knew it was because he wanted me safe. That night was one I would always remember. I was walking home from shopping, I think I was only about seven years old, and it was late so I didn't want to go home right away because I knew Kikira would not like me being out for so long, so I wasted all the time I could." She said this with as much truth as she could, but never told the whole story. She would never tell the truth to anyone. Not until it was all resolved. "And I should note that this was the time of the Revelation, and we lived in a town not to far away from Kyoto." Soujiro stopped her. "Why didn't you decide to move?" "We never really felt the need to, for we had one of the best police forces for miles, but we really should have raise defences more than we did. But like I was saying, I was walking home, and all of a sudden I heard screaming. I knew it was the rebels, but I wasn't afraid. I wasn't cocky or too bold of myself, but I didn't really ever fear death. So I kept walking ahead, until a neighbour came running by. She saw me there and told me to run away. I simply replied, 'I'm going home to my mother'. She gave me a look of pity and told me that Kikira had been killed. I said that instead, I would go to Gu, but he was also killed that night. With all my grief, I didn't run, but walked a secret route to my house, one that only the police force knew, grabbed my belongings and left. I walked for many hours and many miles before stopping by a stream and praying for my adoptive parents. After I was finished, I saw a elderly man near me, also praying. When he finished, I asked him what he was praying for. He said he was praying for the souls lost in the town of Hokuro. The town of Hokuro. My town. I asked him if he knew any one that was killed, and he told me he knew one family, whose name I can't remember, but he said they were killed. He said everyone was killed. That there were no survivors. With this knowledge, I left and decided I would build my house by a stream in remembrance of my town's people. It was a few days until I reached the next stream, and I wasn't sure how far I had gone, but I built my house there, and that is the house you saw."  
  
When she was finished Soujiro still said nothing. She had gone through so much he thought, and it all reminded him of his own past. His parent's never wanted him, and his adoptive family was killed. Only, his story was a bit different. Ayame started to talk again. "Well, we should stop and eat something before we continue." "Ok." They walked a little ways into the forest and sat down to eat. Soujiro hadn't planned on eating anything because he had brought nothing. Ayame got out the food and handed some to him. "No, it's alright. You've already been so generous, I couldn't take your food." Again she did his favourite expression. She smiled. "Is it that you can't take my food, or is it simply that you don't want to eat my food?" "No no no, it's not like that.." "Then just eat it." He had learned by now that there was no use arguing with her, so he took the food and ate. Ayame noticed he was still thinking about the story she told him. "Don't fret over it. What's done is done. And it's not like that topic is new to you or anything." He quickly looked at her with a puzzled expression. 'How does she know that? Does she know about my past?' He came up with a question he knew she could answer. "I know you've said you don't know how you know about me, but what exactly do you know?" "You are very keen, I give you credit for that. Hmmmmmm..What do I know exactly? Well, I don't want to bring up any painful memories, but I do know your past as well as I know mine." 'She does know. But how far back?' "Tell me what you know." "As you wish. I know that your mother...your mother had a rather unapproved of career, and to discourage any gossip, your father's family took you in." She always shivered at the thought of those dirty bastards. He looked at her in a way that she knew he wanted her to continue. "And I know what those horrible, horrible people did to you." She looked away. She didn't want him to see the tears in the corners of her eyes, but he saw them. Like she had said, he was very keen. He wondered why it was she cried at the thought of his past, but not at her own. She wiped her eyes and Soujiro asked her to continue. "I know how you met Shishio. I know what he told you. And I know what he suggest you did about those bastards." She stopped and looked at him to see what his reaction was. He was certainly surprised that she knew this much, but curious about how much more she knew. So she went on. "I know that he trained you to be the excellent fighter you are, and I know how hard it was for you fighting with Kenshin." She knew about that too, huh? Well then why the hell would she ask him to bring her?! "I know what you must be thinking, and I have my reasons that you will know eventually, but for now, I can only tell you that I am extremely grateful to you." Even though his temper was beginning to rise, that sentence calmed him down. They decided to quickly hurry on their way to Tokyo, and it was becoming night soon, so they wanted to get to the next town fast. As soon as they got back onto the road, they saw a large carriage coming towards them. When it neared them it suddenly stopped, and they saw a obviously wealthy man come out. Soujiro didn't have any idea who he was, but the man wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Ayame. "Ayame! What are you doing here?!" "Officer Jirun! Wow! What a surprise! Actually, I'm on my way to Tokyo with my friend here." "Really? Well what a coincidence! I'm heading there too! I have a meeting with an old officer friend of mine." "Oh neat." "Hey, it's getting dark out soon, would you guys want a ride? I got lots of room!" Ayame glanced at Soujiro with a smile. "You want to?" "Sure. Save more time I guess." "Great! Sure! We'd love to!" "Alright then, come inside quickly so we can be own our way!" All three got into the carriage and it took off. 'Save more time I guess. That's what I said. It'd save more time.' The last thing Soujiro wanted was to get there faster. Once inside Ayame told Soujiro that Officer Jirun was the police chief in Sokada, the vllage where they met, and that she helped the police force a lot. Jirun was a very talkative man, and he certainly proved it by telling Soujiro of practically all the thiefs Ayame had helped catch. He talked for a very long time, and it seemed like forever to them both, but they were glad in the end that he talked so much because they had barely noticed the trip and it was over they next thing they knew. Jirun dropped them off at a resturant called the Akebeko. They said good-bye and Jirun went on his way. "Sou-kun, we should go inside right now. It's getting dark." "But where will we stay?" He blushed. "I mean..where will you sleep? And where will I sleep?" Ayame giggled. "I have an idea." They walked inside the Akebeko and a young girl came up to them and said that they were closing. "Oh my! You must be Tsubame-chan! Oh it's so nice to meet you!" The girl Ayame had called Tsubame looked at her with a big curious look in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry! Let me introduce myself! My name is Ayame, and this is my friend Sou- kun. We're here in Tokyo to visit a friend of mine. I had a feeling you might know him, his name is Kenshin." "You're friends of Kenshin-sama?! Oh wow! Nice to meet you! Would you like me to show you where the dojo is?" "Actually, we wanted to meet them in the daytime, and it's so dark out now, we wouldn't have much time to talk. So I was wondering, would it be alright if we roomed here for the night? I've heard so much about your wonderful hospitality! Of course, we'd pay you. What do you say?" Tsubame thought about it for a minute. "Just let me go ask Tae! Be right back!" She ran off in a hurry. "Wow. You show have a way of charming people." "Yes, and I bet you'd know all about that now, wouldn't you?" Soujiro blushed sheepishly, and that made her laugh. Tsubame came running back. "Alright! You guys can stay! There's a room upstairs you can use." Soujiro's eyes almost popped out of his head. "A room? You mean just one?!" Tsubame blushed. They could both easily tell she was a shy little girl. "I'm afraid so. But, Ayame-san can room with me and Tae if you want!" Her eyes beamed. She was very eager to get to know one of Kenshin's friends before anyone else. And in truth, she would, that's exactly what would happen. She would know her before anyone else. "Sure. I'd love to room with you guys, but I'm afraid I won't talk much. It's been such a long trip and we're very tired." "That's alright." And so Tsubame showed them where they could sleep. Before going in her room, Ayame looked back at Tsubame and gave Soujiro a wink. "Good Night Sou-kun." "Good night." And with that, they rested.  
  
End Of Chapter  
  
Author's Note: OOOOH!!! Sweet neh? I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I bet I'll like writing the next one even more because the NEXT chapter is where they catch up with Kenshin!!! XD Keep reading! Thanks! :P 


	8. Meeting With Kenshin

End Of Last Chapter: Before going in her room, Ayame looked back at Tsubame and gave Soujiro a wink. "Good Night Sou-kun." "Good night." And with that, they rested.  
  
Chapter Eight: Meeting with Kenshin  
  
The next day, Ayame woke up early, and found that so did Soujiro. It was too early to go to the dojo now, so they sat down and talked for awhile. "Good morning Sou-kun!" "Ah. Good Morning." "Did you sleep well last night?" "Yeah. Did you?" "Actually yes. But not for quite some time, because Tsubame-chan kept talking. Hehehe. Sweet girl." He laughed. "She is. And you knew very well how to get her to give us some rooms, and you've never even met her before." Soujiro looked up at her. She laughed. "Yah, I guess I have a way with words." She smiled, and believe it or not, so did Soujiro. They sat there for a moment, just staring each other in the eyes, smiling. Just then, Tsubame walked in the room with a woman she called Tae. "Good morning. Did you two sleep well?" Ayame answered. "Yes we did. Thank you so much for you're generosity. How much do we owe you?" Tae shook her head. "No, it's fine. You guys didn't eat anything, and you weren't any trouble. It's on the house, but only this time. I can't have to many people like Sanosuke coming around here." Tae and Tsubame laughed, and so did Ayame. "Well, thank you very much! I think we'll be on our way now." "Alright! Say hi to Yahiko for me will you?" Tsubame blushed, suddenly embarrassed by what she had said. "Don't worry I will. Casually." "Thank you! Good-bye!" After they had left, Soujiro suddenly spoke. "Hey, do you even know where the dojo is?" She smiled. Again. "Of course I do silly!" She gave him a soft punch in the arm and laughed. "But..But are you sure you want to do this?" She looked at him with concern in her eyes. Her amazingly beautiful eyes. "Ye.yes. I'm sure." Soujiro didn't believe what he said, and he didn't think she did either, but she said no more.  
  
They stopped in front of an entrance labelled 'The Kamiya Dojo'. They stood there for a moment, as if waiting to see what would happen. "Are you ready?" Soujiro nodded. And they entered.  
  
Inside the entrance were two little girls, and elderly man, and a young woman. Soujiro didn't recognize any of them, for he had never met them. Ayame smiled. "Excuse me?" The woman looked up. "Oh! How may I help you?" As she spoke, a young boy popped out of the house. "Hey!, Kao.." He stopped when he saw the two strangers standing there. He stopped when he saw the sword on Soujiro's waist. "Shut Up Yahiko!", the woman hissed at him. "How may we help you?", she repeated. Ayame smiled. I'm here to visit someone." "Oh! Who would that be?" "That would be Kenshin-sama." Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Especially Soujiro. 'Kenshin...SAMA?! She called him SAMA?!' He was shocked to hear her refer to him as that, but he guess he should have known that they were friends. The boy named Yahiko was also shocked. The woman just smiled. "Umm, Kaoru? Can I speak to you for a moment?" Yahiko was speaking through gritted teeth. "Yah, but.." Yahiko pulled Kaoru before she could finish her sentence. "YAHIKO! What's wrong with you?!" "Didn't you notice?! That guy over there has a SWORD!, and they're looking for KENSHIN! Don't you remember the LAST GUY who stopped by in that way?! That Saitou bastard!?!" Kaoru thought for a moment. "Yah, but that girl called him 'sama'! That must mean something!" "Maybe he's deceiving her! Maybe she's in it too!" "Yahiko! You're so paranoid!", and with that Kaoru walked back to where they stand. "So. Are you friends of Kenshin's?"  
  
Scene Change  
  
Sanosuke was walking home from shopping, a chore that Kaoru made him do often. He was almost there when he saw two people walking towards the dojo. 'Who could they be?' He decided to follow behind. They were too far ahead for him to see very clearly, but something about them seemed suspicious. Finally they had reached it. They stood around for a moment, and Sano went closer to get a better look. One was a girl. She was wearing a lilac kimono and had short wavy dark brown hair. 'Too bad I can only see the back of her. hehehe.' Sano laughed at his own joke. Then he looked at the other person standing there. 'No! It can't be!' Sano had spotted a young man in a blue hakama and gi. He also had short brown hair. And a sword attached to his waist. 'It can't be! Still, it must be him! But why would he be here?! Is he after Kenshin?!" Sano carefully snuck up behind them.  
  
Ayame answered Kaoru's question. "Yah, I guess you could say that." She quickly turned around and walked to the entrance. Sano knew he had been spotted. 'DAYMN! That girl is FINE!, but what's a babe like that doing with him?!' Ayame walked up to him, and pulled him behind the corner. "Listen Sano, Don't you DARE think of saying anything to him! He's changed! And if you mention anything, I swear I'll.." "Whoa! Hold it lady! How do you know who I am?!" She smiled. "Oh. Pardon me. My name is Ayame. I'm here to visit Kenshin-sama. I know him, and that's how I know you." "Oh ok.." Her smile suddenly turned into a demanding expression. "But you remember what I said! If you say ANYTHING, I'll turn you into a dog!" "Ha. Wow. A dog. I'm so scared." "Obviously you don't know what I was referring to. To turn someone a dog is to have complete control over them, and that means over anything and everything they do. In a sense that includes..." She whispered the rest into his ear. "Yeah, right. Like you could control that!" "You didn't let me finish. Because of that, the saying "to turn you into a dog, means to...." "Yeah?" "...chop off your.." "WHOA! OK! THAT'S ENOUGH RIGHT THERE! I GET THE POINT! Hey!, wait a second. You're just a little girl. I could beat you with one hand!" "Ha! I bet you'd be using your right one though!" She laughed. "Hey! How do you know." "Nevermind that! Just don't say anything, alright?! Wait for Kenshin! Do we have a deal?" Sano thought for a moment. "Yeah, alright. But just till Kenshin comes." "Good. Now lets go back to meet the others!" She had on a big smile again. Sano was puzzled. A most common expression used when dealing with Ayame. 'Man, this chick is sure complex!'  
  
The others were waiting there when they came back. Soujiro saw them first. The two men looked at each other with a fierce look in their eyes. "Sano!" Ayame gave him a quick nudge. He stopped the stare match. The others noticed that they were back. "Sano! I see you have met..." "Ayame. My name is Ayame." "I see you've met Ayame-chan." One of the little girls looked up. "Yes? What is it Kaoru-chan?" "Oh my! Now there's two Ayame-chans!" "The little girl looked up at Ayame. (The one we know.) "Is your name Ayame too?" Ayame Smiled. "Yes. It's a wonderful name isn't it?" "Yeah! It's the best!", the little girl shouted. All the while Sano and Soujiro were trying to make as if the other didn't exist. Kaoru interrupted. "We haven't had any proper introductions yet! Well, my name is." "Kaoru. Kamiya Kaoru." Kaoru's mouth gaped open. "Yes! How did you know?!" Ayame smiled. "Well, when one knows Kenshin, one knows everyone!" She laughed. Then turned to the boy. "And You're Myoujin Yahiko. Am I right?" "Yeah. And your name's Ayame, but what's who's this guy?" They all looked at Soujiro. Sano started to answer. "This guy's.." Ayame gave him a swift kick in the shin and made him forget what he was going to say. "His name is Soujiro. He's a friend of mine. He accompanied me on the trip here." "Soujiro..hmmmmm. That sounds familiar." Sano smirked. "I bet it does." Ayame gave Sano a look that made him keep quiet after that. Soujiro on the other hand, was very uncomfortable. This was basically the last place he wanted to be. Ayame decided to change the subject. "Does anyone know where Kenshin-sama is?" "He's on a walk. He should be here pretty soon." Just as she said that, Himura Kenshin walked in the doorway. Everyone turned and looked at him. He simply looked at the two visitors. "Kenshin. You have some visitors.", Sano proclaimed. "Ah! Kenshin-sama! How nice it is to see you!" Kenshin just looked at the young girl who had spoken to him. "Oro..Who are you exactly?" Everyone did a basic anime fall to the ground. Everyone except Kenshin and Ayame. "YOU MEAN YOU'VE NEVER EVEN MET HER?!", Kaoru screamed. "Oro...." Kenshin got scared of the woman towering above him. "Oh please forgive me. It didn't occur to me that you didn't know we hadn't met yet." Everyone looked at Ayame. "If you've never met, then how do you know who he is?! And how do u know who WE are?! And WHY DO YOU CALL HIM SAMA??!?" Sano was blowing steam from his ears. Ayame just smiled. "That will all be explained very soon, but I haven't introduced us yet. Kenshin you remember Soujiro- kun don't you?" She said this with a smile. The two men's eyes met. A powerful vibe filled the air. Finally, Kenshin broke it. "Yes. Yes I remember him. How are you Soujiro-san?" Soujiro looked at him half in appreciation and half in disbelief. "I'm...I'm fine.", was all he manage to say. Ayame continued. "And as for myself, My name is Ayame. Shinta Ayame." Kenhsin instantly looked at her in shock. She met his expression with an extremely neutral face. She looked at him in a 'do you have any idea yet?' kind of way. Kenshin's mind wandered from this time and age. Back to during the Revelation..  
  
End Of Chapter  
  
Author's Note: OH THE SUSPENSE!! Be SURE to read the next chapter ccuz that's where the good stuff is!! Teeheehee!! Believe me, it'll be VERY INTERESTING!!! Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Thanks for reading!! 


	9. The Truth Begins To Unravel Flashback

End Of Last Chapter: "My name is Ayame. Shinta Ayame." She looked at him in a 'do you have any idea yet?' kind of way. Kenshin's mind wandered from this time and age. Back to during the Revelation..  
  
Chapter Nine: The Truth Begins To Unravel (Flashback)  
  
Kenshin was remembering something, and at the same time, so was Ayame. It was at night. Back when he was still the Battousai, but after the incident with Tomoe. He was on a mission to assassinate the police force of a certain town, and anyone who may have gotten in his way. There were other men on the job too, but there really was no need for them. He went unnoticed by the people, to where he would find the chief of police. He stopped at the officer's home first. There was a woman inside. He saw no one else in the house, so he left with his goal still ahead. He traveled to the police station when suddenly an alarm was sounded. The other men had been seen. All at once, the whole police force was on them. While the other men battled, he searched for the chief. The force was nothing without their chief. It was an easy deal. Take one down and you take them all. They had hidden the chief well, but it was certainly not enough to stop the Battousai from finding him.  
  
Within minutes, all the police were dead, along with many of the other men on the job, the surviving men went back assuming the Battousai had done the job. There was no one left in the town except for the chief, and himself, or so he thought. But someone, went undetected, even from the Battousai, watching them. The chief was all alone. All he needed to do was attack. The officer shot his gun at Himura, but of course nothing hit him. Finally, with one swift blow, he was dead. Himura stared at the body that lay motionless at his feet, when suddenly he heard a noise.  
  
Out of the darkness came the undetected one, a little girl. She must have been only about seven years of age, yet she came forth, straight towards him. Her expression was not one of fear, anger, nor grief. He didn't know what to do. She had seen him, so that meant he had to kill her. But how? How had she been there and so easily escaped his awareness? She kept walking until she stand in front of the body. She spoke. "He's dead." She looked at him with beautiful eyes, eyes so glazed over he could not tell anything she was feeling. She spoke again, all the while watching him. "He's dead. You killed him. Shinta, you killed him."  
  
That was all she had to say to unnerve this great hitokiri. She had called him 'Shinta'. No one had ever called him that since he was only an inexperienced child. No one that was still alive knew about that, except for his master. The one who had taken him in and taught him all he knew. No one else was supposed to know, but somehow this little girl did. She was still watching him, eyes never moving. They both stood there, neither moving an inch. The little girl spoke to him again, for the last time, and in a different tone. It was as if she had matured in that one minute.  
  
"Love. Help. Leave. These words mean a lot to you. You have loved. You are helping. Now you leave. So go Shinta, go. Leave your past behind you, and I shall do the same." Himura stood there, bewildered by the little one's knowledge. How did she know so much? How could she stand there in front of a murderer, and talk so purely, so calmly? Before he had time to think of what to do, she turned and walked away. She walked silently into the darkness and left him all alone. All alone in the world. That job was the last job he ever took. With that, he left his past behind him, and hopefully so did she.  
  
End Of Chapter 


	10. Intense Moments

End Of Last Chapter: That job was the last job he ever took. With that, he left his past behind him, and hopefully so did she.  
  
Chapter Ten: Intense Moments  
  
Kenshin resumed his focus of what was happening. The girl called Ayame stood there in front of him. She was watching him, eyes never moving. And as they had once before, they both stood there, neither moving an inch. Kenshin looked her over carefully. She was, as both men had noticed before, wearing a lilac kimono and had short wavy dark brown hair. He also noticed she was somewhat tall, and had an extremely attractive figure, but he paid no attention to this. He looked at her eyes. Her amazingly beautiful eyes. Eyes with a variety of many colours edged in them wonderfully. Eyes that were not so glazed over, but he knew they were the same eyes he saw that night. They still stood there in total silence, or so it would seem to them.  
  
"KENSHIN!!!!" Sano gave him a hard hit to the head. "KENSHIN!! I have been TRYING to talk to you!!!!" The rurouni lay there on he floor with a look that proved him worthy of the name "swirly-eyed samurai". "Sano-kun, please don't hit Kenshin-sama over the head like that!" Everyone looked at Ayame. Her face was full of concern. "He may be a very skilled swordsman, but other than that he's just a regular guy! Wouldn't you agree Miss Takani?" With this, every pair of eyes turned towards the doorway. There stood a woman with long dark hair. "MEGUMI! How long have you been standing there?!", Kaoru exclaimed. "Ohohohoho, just about as long as you have! But no one had noticed me yet." Megumi Takani smiled. She directed her eyes to Ayame. "You two seem to be very consumed by something the rest of us don't know. Would you mind explaining?" Ayame looked at Kenshin, and he to her. "Well Kenshin? Should we?" His face was very solemn at the moment. "No. Not yet. Not before I know it all." She simply smiled. She does that so much it seems. "Alright, but can we do that later? I've had enough of all these intense moments for now." Everyone else groaned. "Oh come on! It's getting really interesting!" Ayame looked at Yahiko. "Maybe so, but right now is not the perfect time for it. Don't you agree, Yahiko-kun?" "I guess so...WHOA! Hold on a second! Did you just call me Yahiko-KUN?!?!" She laughed. Another thing she does quite often. "Why, of course! Anyone could easily tell that you're much more of a man than you are a child! It would be a great misjudgement to call you chan!" Yahiko's face lit up. "SEE THAT UGLY!! SHE KNOWNS IT'S THE TRUTH!! MWHAHAHAHAHA!! Finally! A woman of intelligence!!" He roared with laughter. Kaoru did not appreciate that at all. She gave him a big wack on the head. "She may think whatever she likes, but to the rest of us, you'll ALWAYS BE A CHAN!!!!" With that, the two started their own version of extreme mortal combat. While the others were trying to pull them away from each other, Ayame gave Kenshin a look and he nodded. They then quietly left the building. Soujiro was the only one who noticed and trailed after them.  
  
Ayame turned and waited for Soujiro. "Coming, Sou-kun?" He looked at Himura and then back at Ayame. "Alright." The three started to walk down towards the forest. Kenshin thought of something. "Ayame-san, why don't we go some place else other than the forest?" "Oh, there's no need to worry about me. I can take care of myself." So they proceeded deeper into the forest and sat down in a most enjoyable spot.  
  
"Well, it looks to me that the three of us all have very interesting pasts, but I'm the only one who seems to know them all. Hmmmm..even more interesting.." She smiled. Just as many before them, they were left very confused. "And how is that possible Ayame-san?", Kenshin asked in curiosity. "I don't think either of us has told a soul, and yet you know so much. That is what I find interesting." "Oooh, I'm glad to be around such very keen men." She giggled. The men both sighed. "Well, Sou-kun already knows mainly what my past was like, so let me fill you in on what I told him.."  
  
Scene Change  
  
Finally, after much struggling, Yahiko and Kaoru managed to calm down. That is when they noticed the three were missing. "Now where did they go?! If that son of a bitch tries to harm Kenshin, I'll....", Sano started to say. " Sanosuke! What do you mean?!" They all looked at him wanting to know what he did. "I mean that the reason Soujiro sounded so familiar to you was 'cause that's the bastard that almost killed Kenshin before he battled with Shishio!! That's the frikkin Tenken!!" A look of horror went across the room. "Kenshin!! ! He's still in no condition to fight! We have to find him!!" Kaoru was the first out of the door, and the rest quickly followed.  
  
They ran to where they knew Kenshin went alone often for privacy. The forest. They all ran in different directions, searching everyplace the could. Kaoru was the first to spot them. "Kenshin.." She looked and saw that they were merely having a quiet conversation. Without even looking, Ayame spoke to her. "Ah. Alright. Kaoru, why don't you just bring the others now. It seems we might as well have this talk so that everyone knows what's going on." Kaoru was shocked but did as she asked. "Everbody! Over here!" The others came as soon as they were notified. They all looked at Soujiro with anger in their eyes. Ayame quickly started talking. "Sano, I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut." Everybody was looking at them. "Yah, and I did. Until Kenshin came. Remember?" "Ah. But Kenshin should have been the one to tell them. He would have noted that Soujiro has changed. He would have noted that Sou-kun is on a journey to find his own path, as was Kenshin so long ago. And he certainly would have noted that you cannot judge others by what the have done in their past if they are truly remorseful, or does that only pass acceptable to red haired rurounis?" She gave Sano a look that made him regret what he had done, but he still stood by it. "How do we know he has changed? All we have for proof is you! We don't even know a thing about you! And you're just as mysterious yourself!" With that Ayame stood up and walked to where he stand. "And you were once the same, Mr. Fighter-for-Hire. So if I were you I would think before speaking." And with that she was gone. She was gone so fast that no one but the two skilled swordsmen saw her leave.  
  
End Of Chapter 


	11. Kick Arse Fighter

End Of Last Chapter: With that Ayame stood up and walked to where he stand. "And you were once the same, Mr. Fighter-for-Hire. So if I were you I would think before speaking." And with that she was gone. She was gone so fast that no one but the two skilled swordsmen saw her leave.  
  
Chapter Eleven: Kick Ass Fighter  
  
Out of all the people who had witnessed this, the most surprised was Soujiro. No one had ever stood up for him before. He was so stunned, he sat there unable to move. Kenshin's eyes looked at Sanosuke. He was looking at the ground, obviously ashamed of what he had said. "Sano, she's right. You shouldn't go talking about things that don't involve you." Sano looked at Kenshin with guilt in his eyes. "We should go after her.", Megumi added. Soujiro suddenly aware of what was going on, quickly stood and darted after her. The rest followed as fast as they could.  
  
Ayame had wandered down a stream to a cave. She always chose the path of a stream over anything else. She sat with her back facing the wall of the cave and peered into the water. "Well, well, well. Look what we've got here." There behind her were two men, big and muscular with ugly faces to add to the picture. "A little lady all by herself in the middle of a forest. Didn't nobody ever tell you there's dangerous crooks out here?" They laughed a disturbing laugh. Ayame stood up, but didn't bother to turn around. "I was quite aware of that, but what is dangerous to others is not necessarily dangerous to me." The two men stopped laughing. "Oh, so you think you can take on two big guys like us all by yourself?" "Ha. I don't think I can. I know I can." With that one of the men swung his fist at her, with metal knuckle guards and all. Ayame jumped up, up on top of the cave. "Hey! Where'd she go?!" All the while, she had gotten out her staff and held it promptly. "Up here boys." They looked up to where she stand. "Oh my. A stick. A little girl with a stick. We're so scared." "You should be. The only reason I'm using this 'stick' is 'cause I don't feel like getting my kimono stained with the blood of some filthy creatures as yourselves."  
  
Soujiro had ran down the stream, as he knew that's where she would be. The others followed. He stopped behind some bushes when he saw what was going on. He saw Ayame standing on top of a cave, with two angry men below her. The rest caught up with him, but he silenced them and they watched. "We have to help her!", was Yahiko's first reaction. "No." Everyone looked at Soujiro. "No. She is a skilled fighter, or at least that's what I've been told. Let us see what she does." So they watched as the battle started.  
  
"Alright. That's it. You in for in now missy." One of the men threw a huge rock at her, but she quickly dodged it and landed on the ground. "Is that the best you can do?" Now they were mad. The man with the metal knuckles charged at her with full speed, but she was too quick for him. She took her staff and jabbed him in the face, instantly stopping him. As soon as he was distracted, she hit him again, this time in the ribs. Everyone could hear the sound of his rib cage breaking. They watched him lay there on the ground, suffering from extreme pain. Then the other man charged, but he came from an angle. Ayame used her staff as a pole and jumped over his head and landed behind him. Quickly she jabbed him in the back, tripped him, and dug her staff into his ribs as well. When both men were down, she took one last blow to each in the head, leaving them unconscious.  
  
"You may come out now." Ayame turned to where they hid. However, she didn't put away her staff. "AWESOME! Where did you learn to fight like that?!" Yahiko was in awe. He had never seen a woman fight like that. "You're so much better than Kaoru!", he added. "And so much better than you, Yahiko.", Kaoru said through clenched teeth. Ayame smiled, but she paid little attention to them. She was watching Soujiro. "Was that proof enough for you Sou-kun?" This time, it was he that smiled. "Proof was never needed." The two looked at each other with admiration in their eyes, but the others were still curious. Megumi broke the smiley-circle for a minute. "That was very well done. How long have you been at this now?" After that, everyone was popping up with questions. "People, people!! Hold your horses! I can only answer one question at a time!, and I'd rather answer them at the dojo, if you don't mind." Everyone agreed. "Uh Sano? Don't you have something you would like to say?" Kaoru gave him one of her 'do it now' kind of looks. "Yah." He turned to Ayame. "I guess you were right. Sorry 'bout that, but, you sure are one kick-ass fighter! You ever think of getting a job outta that?" Everyone screamed at him. "SANO!!"  
  
End Of Chapter 


	12. Her Strange Dreams

End Of Last Chapter: "I guess you were right. Sorry 'bout that, but you sure are one kick-ass fighter! You ever think of getting a job outta that?" Everyone screamed at him. "SANO!!"  
  
Chapter Twelve: Her Strange Dreams  
  
When everyone was back at the dojo and had settled down, Ayame turned to everyone and decided she would tell them all she knew. They deserved to know. It was Kenshin who spoke first. "Will you tell us your story that you were going to tell?" She stared at him for a minute, lost in her own thoughts, and everything was silent. "Alright. It may seem a bit confusing at first, and the two of you each know only half so this might take a while." She was referring to Kenshin and Soujiro.  
  
And then she told her story, but only the parts the two men already knew. She wanted to give them the idea before telling them the rest.  
  
"That's one strange story, but there's still a lot that isn't explained.", Sano said after she was finished. "Like why in the world would you call Kenshin 'Shinta'?" She looked at Kenshin and simply replied, "It is not my right to tell you that." Still curious, everyone turned to Kenshin. He didn't want to tell them, but he knew he would have to eventually. Bit by bit as time went by, they would find out parts of his past that he would have rather no one knew, but there was no denying it. They would find out his whole life as it came back to haunt him. "That...that is because...it was my birth name." Everyone gasped but the two who already knew. "Why? How? When? WHY?!" Everyone was eager to know the truth now. So he told them of how his parents died and how he was sent as a slave. He told them of how they were attacked and the three courageous women had given their lives for him. And he told them of how Hiko had saved him and decided to train him, thus giving him a name worthy of a swordsman. After he told them that he looked at Ayame. "But no one knew. Neither of us told a soul. No one that is still alive could have known. But you do." He paused. "How?" Now it was Ayame's turn to explain. "There is something you haven't told us yet, so tell us now."  
  
Ayame turned to Soujiro. "I'm sorry. I wasn't completely truthful to you. I..I just didn't want you to be afraid." She held her head lowered towards the ground and continued. "I.....I...have dreams." "Yeah so? Everybody has dreams!" Ayame smiled at what Yahiko had said but still kept her head lowered. "Yes...but not like the ones I have." "What are you saying?" Kaoru was the one who spoke this time. "I have dreams. Strange dreams." She paused. "Dreams...about people. About their lives and what happens to them. In the past, in the present....and. in the future." There was an unnerving silence after that. "About.real people?" She nodded. "People that are far away. People I have never met. People...including yourselves." Everyone stood there shocked. Kenshin started to question her again. "So that is how you came to know? That is how you know about all of us? From your dreams?" He sounded as if he didn't believe her, but she knew he did. She knew he had experienced the unexplainable as well.  
  
"Yes." That is all she said, and that was all she needed to say. "Then tell us, why have you come?" Finally she lifted her head. "I have come to fulfill the cycle that so many individuals have done before me, as have you." 'And as you are doing yet again.', she added silently in her head. "Do you remember?" Kenshin thought about what she had said to him so many years ago. 'Love. Help. Leave. These words mean a lot to you. You have loved. You are helping. Now you leave.' He replayed these words over and over again in his mind. "Yes. Yes, I remember." She gently smiled a small, barely noticeable smile. "So you have come to help. Help us with what?"  
  
At this her insignificant smile faded completely. "From a suffering soul seeking revenge." She paused. "Watch for that of which died that day you lost your happiness." Kenshin's mind was searching for any possible answer to that riddle. 'Who died the day I lost my happiness?' He thought of his most painful memories. The courageous women, the killing he did,..and....oh no. She wasn't referring to...no. She couldn't mean...  
  
Ayame saw his thoughts show through his expression. "Yes. Watch out for those deeply involved with that incident. That is all I can say for now." She stood up and left the room, as did Kenshin. The rest stood there wondering what she had meant. Soujiro was the first of them to leave. He had seen the discomfort in her eyes. He had known she was hurting because of this. He knew he had to go see her.  
  
End Of Chapter  
  
Author's Note: Ok, the next chapter isn't going to be this extreme. Maybe still a bit, but not as much as this. I'm through with the intensity for now. At least until the end of the next chapter. lol. Thanks for reading! 


	13. Love's First Kiss

Author's note: Sorry, I lied. This chapter will be pretty intense, but in a different way.  
  
IMPORTANT: This is a ROMANCE story right? So in this chapter there will be some ROMANCE if you get what I mean. I rate this chapter PG13 , and more preferably 14A because of it's sexual content. If you don't like the stuff, don't read it. So please no hate mail or anything, because you can't say I didn't warn you. Read at your own risk.  
  
End Of Last Chapter: Soujiro was the first of them to leave. He had seen the discomfort in her eyes. He had known she was hurting because of this. He knew he had to go see her.  
  
Chapter Thirteen: Love's First Kiss  
  
Soujiro walked down the hallway to a door that was left just a crack open. He peered inside and saw Ayame sitting there with her arms wrapped around her knees. Even though her back was towards him she knew he was there. "Come in." He walked in, shut the door and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I just didn't want you to leave me." He looked at her and saw that she had tears in her eyes. And he thought to himself that he didn't have the slightest clue what to do. He had never comforted anyone, let alone be comforted himself. So he sat there, silently. That made her laughed. "I should have known you wouldn't know what to do." He smiled. "Very true, very true." She looked at him with her amazing eyes, but only this time she was crying. "I don't even know why this upsets me. It has almost nothing to do with me, and yet, I sit here crying." "Well, you probably just feel different. No one you know has ever had this gift, so you probably feel alone." She gave him a smile, a kind he had never seen her do before. It was as if she were doing something bad, but and enjoyed it. "I never feel alone when I'm with you, Sou-chan."  
  
'Sou-chan.' She had called him 'chan'. No one ever calls a guy 'chan' unless they're a child, or if they want to show affection. He knew she didn't think of him as a child, so that meant..she was showing affection towards him. Affection...towards him. He was so shocked he sat there with his eyes so wide it looked as if he had just been shot. And she kept on smiling that sly smile. She crept closer to him. "You always make me feel wanted, Sou-chan." He still didn't have any idea of what to do, all he knew was that she was coming closer. REAL close. All his instincts told him to run away, but he didn't. For some reason, he hadn't ever listened to his instincts since he met her. He watched as she kept coming closer until she was face to face with him. She ran her finger along his face, down his neck, and to his chest. She looked at him and this time her eyes showed an expression he had never seen her do either. They showed some kind of desperateness. A look of longing, and full of desire. Finally, it clicked in his mind what she was about to do.  
  
Scene Change (Author: I know, I AM evil!!! MWHAHAHA!!)  
  
Kaoru and the others stood there trying to figure out what had just happened. Ayame had said something about 'that of which died the day you lost your happiness.' What had she meant by that?! Kaoru started to go after Kenshin, but Megumi stopped her. "What are you doing Megumi?!" "It's obvious that Kenshin and Ayame need some time to seriously think things over, so just leave them alone for a while." Yahiko was the one to question that theory. "What about Soujiro? He went after her!" Megumi just gave him a look of supremacy and said, "It is ALSO obvious that Soujiro and Ayame have a special relationship that the rest of us don't take part in. Do you understand now?" He suddenly realized what she meant and closed his mouth. "So all we can do is wait here until they come out." They all sighed.  
  
Scene Change- Back to the Bedroom  
  
Soujiro didn't know if he should let her continue or not. Ayame stopped and saw the confusion in his eyes. "Don't be afraid Sou-chan. Let your emotions go. No one is going to stop you." He thought about what she had just said. It was true. No one was going to stop him, and he knew what he really wanted to do. With that, he made up his mind. Soujiro put his arms around her body and kissed her. He felt her tender lips against his own and their incredibly sweet taste. He did as she had said. He let all his emotions go. He kissed her more and more passionately with every moment that went by. He found himself not able to think at all, but just feel her warmth and caress her body against his own. Finally he stopped, and they both gasped for air. He thought to himself, 'So this is Love's first kiss.', and he smiled. "Sou- chan! Where in the world did that come from?!" He answered her very smoothly. "From all the time I've spent with you and have not been able to do it." She giggled. "Oh Sou-chan..I've felt the same way for so long. I wasn't sure how long I would last, but that doesn't matter anymore. Now we have each other." With that she started kissing his neck ever so gently. Soujiro found himself breathing hard. He felt emotions rise and burn in his heart that he never had felt before. He wanted more. In some way she sensed that, so she ran her hands along his chest and started to undo his shirt, all the while kissing him softly. "Ayame-chan.." He stopped her. "What is it, love?" She smiled at him. "I don't think we should do this. We are yet so young, and you know what might happen." "Oh Sou-chan, I don't care what people think is right or not. I've been an outcast all my life and don't plan on changing that now. I know we can handle it." With that said, she continued and he didn't try to stop her. She took off his shirt and gazed at him. "Oh my love...you are truly the most magnificent being on this entire earth. I can't help but think how lucky I am to be with you." He grinned. "And I so lucky to be with you. You are the most amazing person I have ever met and I never want to leave you." She bestowed upon him the utter most sincere gaze he had ever known to exist. "I love you Soujiro. I will always love you. No matter what. I will always be there for you." "And I return your love with all my heart can give. I will always love you, there is no doubt in my mind." She kissed him so passionately and seductively that they both fell to the floor. She stopped for a moment. "Soujiro, it's your turn." He looked at her not quite knowing what she meant. She smiled with a look of lust on her face. "It is your turn to gaze upon me." He didn't believe it. He didn't believe what she had just asked him to do. He thought about this carefully. He had never seen a woman before. Never had he even thought about it. She kept smiling and as if reading his mind said, "There's a first time for everything." That was all it took. He took his shaking hands and started unwrapping her obi. When he finished that she turned to him and told him to finish the job. With every cell in his body shaking from extreme nervousness he took off her kimono. Before he had a chance to react she leapt onto him and started kissing him again. He had never felt such pleasure. Such desire, such lust, and such love. They lay there, experiencing and exploring each other, never stopping until at last they fell asleep in the late night.  
  
That night Ayame dreamed another insightful dream. She saw Kenshin meeting the man seeking revenge on a bridge and talking of the war he would set upon Himura's life. She saw herself walking outside late at night in a hypnotic way. She saw everyone came after her to see what was going on, and saw herself receiving important information of which she could not understand yet, but she understood in the dream. Before the dream ended, she saw one other thing. A woman, tall and beautiful with dark hair pulled back in a pony-tail. She saw the woman speaking to her and the man Kenshin was to meet, and she heard them call her 'Tomoe'.  
  
End Of Chapter 


	14. Unexpected Friends

Author's Note: Ok, for those of you who chose NOT to read chapter 13, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. Here are the important parts out of that chapter-  
  
Kaoru and the others stood there trying to figure out what had just happened. Ayame had said something about 'that of which died the day you lost your happiness.' What had she meant by that?! Kaoru started to go after Kenshin, but Megumi stopped her. "What are you doing Megumi?!" "It's obvious that Kenshin and Ayame need some time to seriously think things over, so just leave them alone for a while." Yahiko was the one to question that theory. "What about Soujiro? He went after her!" Megumi just gave him a look of supremacy and said, "It is ALSO obvious that Soujiro and Ayame have a special relationship that the rest of us don't take part in. Do you understand now?" He suddenly realized what she meant and closed his mouth. "So all we can do is wait here until they come out." They all sighed.  
  
Next Important Scene-  
  
That night Ayame dreamed another insightful dream. She saw Kenshin meeting the man seeking revenge on a bridge and talking of the war he would set upon Himura's life. She saw herself walking outside late at night in a hypnotic way. She saw everyone came after her to see what was going on, and saw herself receiving important information of which she could not understand yet, but she understood in the dream. Before the dream ended, she saw one other thing. A woman, tall and beautiful with dark hair pulled back in a pony-tail. She saw the woman speaking to her and the man Kenshin was to meet, and she heard them call her 'Tomoe'.  
  
Author's 2nd Note: Ok so there you have it. Oh, and one more thing. Sadly, this story is coming closer to the end, mostly because I've written about two chapters a day since I started.., So I'm gonna put in a few side quests. If you don't know what a side quest is, it's basically a mini story line that has nothing to do with the main plot. Although, I might just make it involve the main plot..hehehehe...  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Unexpected Friends  
  
Ayame woke up the next morning with the sun shining in through the window. She was cuddled next to Soujiro and noticed he was already awake. "Good Morning Sou-chan." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I see you're up." He smiled at her. "Mmmhmm." He looked at her with such love in his expression she had to ask what he was thinking. "I was just thinking how wonderful you are. You're truly an angel." He kissed her forehead. "If I'm an angel, then you must be god." She kissed him back, and when she looked at him again, she saw he had a worried look in his eyes. "Sou-chan, what's wrong?" He looked at her lovingly and thought about what to say. "I.did.did you...have another dream last night?" She looked at him curiously. "Yes. Yes, I did. How did you know?" "You were doing some strange things last night." "Oh? Like what?" "Well, for one, later in the night you had your eyes open, but you were obviously asleep. You looked like you were hypnotized or something." She held his hand. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I never knew I did that. I'm sorry." He smiled at her again. "Don't be sorry, but..what did you dream?" "Ooooh, somebody's curious!" She giggled. "Don't worry, I'll tell you later. First we should get up though. She stood up and went to get her kimono. After putting it on she asked Soujiro if he could tie her obi. He blushed. "I..I don't know how." She laughed a little. "Let me show you." Ayame took her obi and wrapped it around his waist and tied it. "See? Now you try." She undid the obi and put it around herself. "Ummm.alright." He tried to do as she had shown him, and to his surprise he did it very well. "Oh wow! You really are a fast learner!" She smiled and gave him a kiss. "Now you get dressed and I'll meet you with the others." He thought for a moment. 'Oh geez. What if the others knew? That wouldn't be too good.' "Don't worry. It's none of their business." She kissed him one more time and then left the room. He smiled to himself. He felt so good inside, as if he was reborn again, a new person. He had found what he was searching for. A reason to go on.  
  
Scene Change  
  
Kenshin had come back late at night while the others were asleep. He decided he would sleep outside to not wake everyone else. He awoke with the sun glaring down at him and noticed someone else was there. It was Ayame. She was sitting on the steps next to him. She had a distant look in her eyes. He always noted to check her eyes. It was as if they foretold something that was going to be said. "I'm sorry about coming out with it so bluntly. I know it must have been a shock for you." He spoke calmly, even though inside he was a mess. "When will this person be coming?" "Soon. Very soon. Oh, and here's someone else who's decided to come see us." They both looked ahead and saw two figures coming towards them. One was a small teenage girl wearing a blue ninja outfit, the other was a tall man with icey-blue eyes. The girl spoke first. "Himura! We're here to visit you guys!" She ran up to the entrance and stopped when she saw Ayame. A look of joy washed over her face. "Ayame?!" Ayame smiled back at her. "Misao!" They ran up to each other and each received a big hug. "Ayame! What on earth are you doing here?!"  
  
By now the whole gang had waken and had stepped outside to see what was going on. "Misao? Is that Misao?!", Kaoru asked in astonishment. "How the hell does she know Ayame?", Sano finished the question that was on everyone's minds. The two girls didn't bother to hear them. "I'm here visiting Kenshin as well! I didn't know you would be coming! Or is it for that tea Aoshi promised Ken-san?" "Hahaha. You sure never forget! But how are you?! I haven't seen you for so long! Where have you been?! What have you been up to?!" "Ororororo...would someone mind explaining what's going on?" They looked at Kenshin. "Oh! Silly us! You're all probably wondering how we know each other!" They all nodded. "Well, when I went on one of my trips to find Aoshi-sama, I got caught by these jerks and there were too many to fight by myself, and then out of the blue Ayame comes and kicks their asses!" They both laughed. "Yah, and I was on my way to Kyoto anyway, so Misao asked if I would join her on the trip! Of course I said yes, and we've been great friends ever since!" They giggled.  
  
"Oh my lord! It's been almost forever! You guys HAVE to stay here in Tokyo for a while! It'll be so much fun!" "Oooh! And we can shopping together!!" Both girls laughed hysterically. "Oh the joys of teenage girls..", Sano muttered. Finally they stopped laughing. Ayame walked up to the tall man. "How are you Aoshi-sama? It's nice to see you again!" "Don't tell me she knows him too!", Yahiko was getting annoyed. Ayame seemed to know everybody they did. Of course, he knew the reason why, but this didn't count for that.  
  
Aoshi didn't give a very nice greeting, but then again, no one expected him to. "I'm fine." Ayame laughed. "Same old Aoshi." "Ayame! You didn't tell me you knew Aoshi-sama!" Misao was looking at her in shock. "Oh I'm sorry! It happened not that long ago. I was walking to Kyoto and I passed him on the way. He didn't know who I was of course, but I knew it was him from your description. So I said hello and told him how I knew you, and he asked how you were doing." Misao looked up at Aoshi. "You wanted to know how I was doing?! You really DO care!!" She gave him a big hug, and he brushed her off. The two girls begin laughing again.  
  
After that, everyone went inside and had some breakfast. "Ayame, why did you come here?", Misao asked curiously. "Is it because of you know what?" Ayame smiled. "Yes, but there's no need to be secretive about it anymore. They all know." Misao nodded, then giggled. "Do they all know about the time you had one of those dreams while walking down the stairs and how you fell flat on your face?!" Misao laughed evilly. Ayame also giggled to their surprise. "And does everyone know about the time you got stuck in that tree from jumping off that building saying you could land on the top of it?!" Ayame laughed at that memory. Misao laughed too. "Or when we both got stuck under the docks in that town, and how those two guys had to come and get us out?!" They both laughed so hard that they almost threw up. "Oh jee..that was so much fun!" Just then Soujiro came into the room. Aoshi stood up, ready to get his kodachis out. Misao stopped laughing and stood up too. "You! What are YOU doing here?!" Ayame sighed. "Calm down already. Everything's fine. He's here with me." She smiled to him. "Oh brother. This is like the what, third time I've had to explain this?" Misao looked at her, and then at Soujiro. Back and forth, back and forth. "I don't get it. Wasn't he." Ayame cut in. "Exactly. He WAS. That was before. This is now. Things have changed." "Ah." That was all Misao need to know. She trusted Ayame completely and was not going to doubt her judgement. Aoshi wasn't as convinced, but he sat back down. He would still keep his guard up, just in case. He didn't trust as easily as Misao did. Everyone started to talk again, when suddenly Misao yelled with giddiness. "OH MY GOD!! We HAVE to go shopping tomorrow!! We can have a little trip of the market and everything! It's perfect! Ooooh!! It'll be so much fun!!" Ayame giggled. "Yes!! We HAVE to do that!! Oooh! What will we buy?!" Misao thought about the things she needed. Ayame thought about the things she needed. Then they both thought about what to get their beloveds. As if reading each others minds, they both laughed and ran down the stairs and started listing all the things they would do. All the men sighed. "This is gonna be one hell of a time." "Hai." Everyone groaned, except for Kaoru. She was almost excited as the two girls. She loved showing people around the town, especially the market. So that day was a day of greetings, planning, and anticipating. Until tomorrow..  
  
End Of Chapter 


	15. Shopping Turned Disastrous

End Of Last Chapter: Everyone groaned, except for Kaoru. She was almost excited as the two girls. She loved showing people around the town, especially the market. So that day was a day of greetings, planning, and anticipating. Until tomorrow..  
  
Chapter Fifteen: Shopping Turned Disastrous  
  
Misao and Ayame had planned out some things that they wanted to do during the day. First things first, so they were to go shopping right away. They had asked Kaoru and Megumi if they could show them around town, and not surprisingly, they agreed. The girls were eating breakfast, and then to be on their way. Soujiro and Aoshi were very worried about the two teenage girls being out all day, and it didn't help that the Fox and Racoon girl were joining them. That just made it all worse. So, in desperateness, they decided to follow the girls, but not knowing the other was planning the same.  
  
After breakfast they said good-bye and went ahead to the market. Soujiro said he had some things he needed to do as well, and Aoshi...well Aoshi didn't say anything. He just left, and no one expected him to do it any other way.  
  
"Oh my god! I've never seen so much wonderful things to buy!", was Ayame's first reaction. "You've been to Kyoto, and have never seen anything like this before?!", Misao asked. "I never really took the time to go to the markets." "Ah." In less than an hour, Misao had bought a new kimono, and Ayame bought a new hakama and gi. The hakama were a dark forest green, while the gi was a very soft lilac colour. The girls were so excited, they ran to the Akebeko to change. When Misao came out Kaoru and Megumi complemented her on her choice. When Ayame came out though, it was a bit different.  
  
She looked wonderful in her new outfit. The green and very soft purple went great with her hair and eyes, but that's not what they were all looking at. Just above the line of her shirt, a bit down from her neck, was a big purple mark. Everyone gasped. "What? What is it!?" Kaoru was the first to speak. "That's..that's..Oh my god! You got a huge hi.." Megumi covered her mouth and told her not to draw attention. Ayame had gotten the message though. She looked down and saw the mark. She gave out very high pitched 'eep' sound, blushed furiously, and ran back into the bathroom. Everyone rushed in after her. (It was a public bathroom.) "Oh my god! Ayame! When?! How?! WHO?!", was all Misao managed to say. Ayame spoke through clenched teeth. "SHUT UP! I don't want anyone else noticing!" She furiously tried to cover it up, but Megumi stopped her. "WHEN DID YOU GET THAT?!" Megumi asked very sternly. "Most importantly, WHO gave you it?!", was Misao's question. Ayame's face was scarlet red now. "I'll tell you, but don't tell a soul!!" They all agreed and urged her to continue. "It was...it happened..." She wasn't even looking at them, but Megumi, being the smart one, had already figured it out. "NO! You didn't! Not last night!?" Ayame just looked down and gave a small nod. Kaoru was next to get it. "Nooo!! Not Soujiro! Oh my lord!" Finally Misao got the picture. "Last night?! You?! Soujiro?! Oh my god! You didn't..yanoe..do it did you?!" Ayame gave them all a death- threatening look. "Enough with the questions! It's none of you business what we do!" That wasn't good enough to stop the questions from coming. "Weren't you thinking?! You're so young! What if you had gotten..." Ayame had heard enough. "I WAS thinking alright?! I had thought about it A LOT. I knew what could happen, but I knew it wouldn't. Just like my dreams turn out to be true, I knew this would too. It didn't happen. I'm not having a child. And it is not YOUR job to tell me what I can and cannot do! You are NOT my mother and you do NOT control my life!" With that, she stormed out of the bathroom, hugging her kimono to her chest so no one would notice. She left everyone silent, and feeling bad. They had invaded her privacy, and they knew it was none of their business, but only Misao had seen the tears streaking down her best friend's face. Only she knew how it felt to want that but ashamed to do it because of her age. So only Misao ran after her.  
  
End Of Chapter 


	16. What Sano Saw

End Of Last Chapter: They had invaded her privacy, and they knew it was none of their business, but only Misao had seen the tears streaking down her best friend's face. Only she knew how it felt to want that but ashamed to do it because of her age. So only Misao ran after her.  
  
Chapter Sixteen: What Sano Saw  
  
Soujiro and Aoshi watched the girls go into the Akebeko, and shortly after they saw Ayame run out in tears and Misao chasing after her. So, they followed.  
  
Ayame had ran through the back alleyways, and down to the forest. She ran along the stream and back to the cave, although it was so predictable of her, she didn't care. She knew no one would bother her there, and those men certainly wouldn't be coming back. Not after getting beat up by a girl only half their size. So she sat by the cave, and started to cry. She had told herself it would be alright. She had known she would be ok, but she had also told herself that she wouldn't let anyone find out, for Soujiro's sake. She didn't want to hurt him, and she had let him down, so she cried.  
  
Misao knew her friend oh so well, so she ran down the stream and found her by the cave. She sat down beside her friend who was sobbing. "Ayame..I'm so sorry. We didn't mean to hurt you." "I know. It's not your fault. I...I just didn't want anyone to find out, for his sake. But I let it happen. I was careless, and now I've let him down." She continued to shed tears all over her new clothes.  
  
Soujiro and Aoshi had been watching them closely, not to far away from each other, but they were too concerned to bother noticing. 'Misao..she's such a kind girl. She's being so nice to her friend. I wonder what happened.', thought Aoshi. Meanwhile Soujiro had his own thoughts running through his head. 'What's wrong? Why is she so upset?' That's when both men saw it. The huge purple mark near Ayame's neck. 'Oh my god. Why the hell did she go and do that if it would upset her this much?' Surprisingly, Aoshi had thought better of Ayame than that, but he was beginning to doubt her. Soujiro's mind raced when he saw it. At first he thought of the obvious, that they had found out, but then it crossed his mind. She hadn't cared if they others knew, but she knew that he did. 'She's crying because of me.' The reality hit him hard. Not just that he caused her to cry, but because she did. It told him that she cared for him so much, that she was putting herself through this much just to make him happy. That was all it took. Soujiro ran out towards them, not caring that they would know he had been spying. He ran up to Ayame and hugged her. She looked up. "Sou...Sou-chan? Oh Sou-chan. I'm so sorry." She continued to cry as he held her. "No, no don't be sorry. It's my fault. I should have never gotten so carried away with what the others would have thought. Please don't cry." Misao backed away a bit, and watched the way Soujiro comforted her friend. She had never seen this side to him before, and neither had anyone else. He was so loving, so caring, and so selfless. She watched as he held Ayame in his arms, just holding her. Comforting her. Telling her he wasn't upset. Even though she was happy for her friend to have such love in her life, watching all this just made her wish Aoshi-sama would treat her this way. And he sensed that. He saw the look on Misao's face as she watched the couple together. He could tell she was jealous. He could tell what she was thinking.  
  
Scene Change  
  
Back at the dojo, Yahiko was practicing, Kenshin was doing chores, and Sano was just being lazy. All of a sudden, a question popped into Yahiko's head. "Hey, does anybody know where Soujiro slept last night?" "I thought he slept outside", was Kenshin's reply. "That lucky son of a bitch? My god, what I wouldn't give to have been in his place last night!" "What are you talking 'bout Sano?" "Well, I don't wanna go spreading rumors, but this ain't no rumor." They crept closer, interested by what he had to say. "Go on." "Well, I was walking outside late last night, and I heard some noises so I peered in the window to see what was going on." "And?" "Well, I saw them..let's just say I saw them 'getting it on'." Sano laughed evilly. "Sano! It's not nice to joke about such things!" "Yah, but I'm not joking! I mean DYAMN!, that girl is Fiine!! You should've seen the booty on that little item!" Sano smirked, but Kenshin just kept quiet. "Soujiro and Ayame?! But they're so young! I mean." Yahiko was cut off when Megumi and Kaoru returned. "Hey, where are the other two?" The both looked very ashamed of something and Megumi answered, "Ayame got upset about something and ran away, Misao chased after her." "What was she so upset about?" "It's none of your business!", replied Kaoru. "It was none of our's either.", Megumi added. They both looked guilty of something. "Wait a minute, did this have anything to do with last night?" Both women turned to Sano. "How the hell do you know?!" "Heh. I saw 'em. What about you two? How'd you find out?" "Well...she kinda..she has a mark." "Ayame?! Oh lord! She's got a hickey?! Ahahaha! I would've paid money to see that!" Sano laughed hysterically. "It's not funny! She was very upset that we were lecturing her." "Well it was her choice." So the girls and Sano argued for awhile, while Yahiko tried to calm them down, and Kenshin just kept on doing the chores.  
  
Scene Change-In The Forest  
  
Back at the cave, Ayame was still crying. "Please don't cry. It doesn't matter. I'm not upset." She looked up at Soujiro who was holding her tightly. "You.you really don't care?" He smiled. "No. I shouldn't have cared in the first place, and I certainly don't care now. The world could know, and I wouldn't give a damn." At this, she stopped crying and hugged him. "Alright. I'm sorry I got so upset." "I'm sorry I got you so upset." They both smiled at each other, knowing that they could continue with the apologies forever. Ayame let go of Soujiro and turned to Misao. She gave her a big hug. "Thank you Misao." "You shouldn't thank me. I did nothing." Ayame smiled and simply said, "You were worried and came after me. That has to count as something." They laughed. That was when they all noticed the man in the bushes. "You can come out now Aoshi-sama." So he came out and walked over to them. "Dammit! Have you guys been spying on us all day?!", Misao asked. Aoshi just kept his face straight and everyone else laughed. "What about we finish our shopping?", Misao questioned. "Ok, but first I want to get Megumi to cover this thing up. It's not the most attractive thing, yanoe." The girls laughed.  
  
Scene Change- Everyone's Back  
  
After some continuous arguing, everyone had settled down, until the rest came back that is. "Hey there they are!" They all turned to see the bunch coming back, with Ayame and Soujiro in front, holding hands and smiling. When they had entered the dojo, Megumi and Kaoru ran up to Ayame. "We're so sorry. We didn't mean to upset you." She just kept on smiling. "It's ok, but Megumi? Can you do me a favour and help me cover it up?" "Of course. Come with me." When they walked by, Sano just had to be a jerk and asked to see it. "Yah right, like you're worthy enough to see more than my face!" And with that they kept walking. So Sano turned to Soujiro. "How in hell did you manage to score that high?" Soujiro was about to say something, when Yahiko interrupted. "Don't pat attention to what he says, he's just jealous." Soujiro smiled and said, "I guess I'm just lucky." "Seems more than luck to me." Everyone turned to Kenshin. "What are saying Kenshin?", Sano asked. "I think they have something really special." He smiled at Soujiro, who returned the smile. Just then the girls came back. "Ok! You ready to go back shopping, Misao?" "Hey, can we come too?" "Sure Yahiko. Let's all go! And then we can eat dinner at the Akebeko!" So everybody got up and left to go shopping, but no one knew what old friends this shopping spree would bring....  
  
End Of Chapter 


	17. The Squirrel

Author's Note: Gomenasai! I'm terribly sorry that I haven't updated in a while! I started another story and then I was just plain lazy. -_-; I'll try to update more often, but not as much as I did before. At least twice a day isn't a schedule I can keep up with anymore. -_- And sorry, but this chapter is a little confusing. There's a lot of information I wanted to get out and not a lot of time to do it evenly so I kinda crammed it all in here. Gomen. ^_^; And unfortunately the next chapter will be pretty intense too. So many apologies..@_@  
  
End Of Last Chapter: So everybody got up and left to go shopping, but no one knew what old friends this shopping spree would bring....  
  
Chapter Seventeen: The Squirrel  
  
With the girls in the lead, all the guys tried hard to keep up with them. Every second one of them would stop and check over an item they liked, and every other time would buy it. While browsing through some small shops, Ayame found what she stated was 'the perfect gift' for Soujiro. She bought it and stuffed it in her hakama. 'He's gonna love it!' She was so excited she started skipping. Strangely, Ayame had a sudden urge to go towards a little corner store, so she ran ahead of the pack. She saw it was an artillery store and went inside to see if she could enlarger her own collection. Immediately she saw a staff hanging on the wall that looked very much like her own. She ran up to it and was surprised by an elderly woman. "Oh my. It's been such a long time. I see you've grown into quite the young woman Ayame-chan." Ayame turned around and stared at the small woman in front of her. She looked the woman over carefully, trying to remember where she'd seen her before. "You! You..you're the..the wise woman!" The lady smiled. "You always did have a good memory. How are you Ayame-chan?" "I'm...I'm fine. How did you find me?" "It's actually the other way around. You found me." Ayame smiled faintly. "Oh gee. I have so many questions to ask. First off, what may I call you?" "Motoko. You may call me Motoko." "Very well then Motoko-sama." Ayame hesitated. "May...may I ask what ever happened...what happened to them?" Motoko paused. "I'm sorry to say that they're both gone. Your mother grew very ill after they left you and she passed away shortly after. Your father with all his grief killed himself from losing the both of you. They were a terrible mess after that night. They missed you so much, and the villagers now thought less of them for giving up their only child. But when they went back to get you, you were already gone." Ayame looked at the ground. "I see." "Enough with all the sad talk. I have a gift for you." "Oh?" Motoko went to the wall and picked up the staff Ayame had looked at. "What I gave you that night was part of a two piece set. This is the other part." She handed the staff to Ayame. It was plain just like hers, and had writing engraved in it. She read it carefully, going over the words in her head. 'Love Lasts Forever And Always' Down further in a more discreet spot were more words. 'Remember it and you shall never lose it' Ayame folded it down to a small stick. "Thank you, but if you've had this all along, why give it to me now?" Motoko smiled. "Because it's not meant for you. It's a pair. They're partners. You have a partner too you know." Ayame smiled. "Yes. Yes I do."  
  
Just then a tall man with dark hair and a cigarette in his mouth came up to them. He took one look at Ayame and thought aloud, "Squirrel?". Motoko laughed. "That's the same thing you called her when you first met her." Ayame looked at the man. "Saitou Hajime? I don't recall ever meeting him before." Saitou's face tightened. "How do you know my name?" Motoko interrupted them. "Saitou, this is Ayame-chan. She's a very special girl. You met her when you were quite a bit younger. She had only turned two years old. Do you remember?" Saitou traced his thoughts back to when he supposedly met Ayame. "Yes I remember." Ayame was really confused. "I've met Saitou-san when I was two? That means...was I still in your village? Why was he there? Oooh this is mind boggling." Motoko laughed. "Yes you were still in the village, and Saitou was there visiting me and his grandfather." There was a brief silence. "You..you're his grandmother?! Well that explains a lot!" "Maybe so, but I still don't know why this has anything to do with you." They both turned to Saitou. "Saitou this is Shinta Ayame. She's a old friend of mine." They were interrupted when the rest of the Kenshin-gumi walked in. "There she is!" Everyone ran up to them. "Ayame! Where have you been? We've been looking for you!" Saitou's face went blank. He looked at all the women standing in front of him. Starting with Kaoru. "Raccoon.." Then Megumi. "Fox..." Next Misao. "Weasel." Finally Ayame. "Squirrel." Mrs. Hajime laughed again. "Ayame, you remember that dagger I gave you?" "Yah." "That was part of the reason for the design." They both laughed. "I get it now. Hahaha. That's a good one." (AN: That's an inside joke. No one else got it. I hope u did though.) Everyone else was darting their eyes back and forth trying to decipher the situation. Kaoru spoke first. "Saitou?! Ayame! What are you doing with this guy?!" "Saitou-san is apparently the grandson of my old neighbor." Soujiro came up front and looked at Saitou and the woman. Saitou gave him a look of disgust. "So Battousai has befriended the enemy. How like him to do something so stupid." Ayame was getting ticked off now from the numerous times of explaining the obvious. "Look you, lets get this straight. Soujiro is NOT the enemy. He's no one's enemy, and if I have to explain that one more time there's gonna be hell to pay, understand?!" Everyone sighed at her sudden outburst while Saitou put in a 'Whatever'. Soujiro was still eyeing the woman. "Ayame-chan...is this the woman that gave you those gifts?" Ayame and Mrs. Hajime smiled. "Yep. Somehow we managed to meet again." Saitou's mind went back on track. "Oh, obachan, I came to tell you I have to go to a meeting with a former colleague of mine." Like it was some sort of signal, the colleague of Saitou's walked in. "Gorou-san, what's taking so long?" He stopped when he saw Ayame. "Oh what a surprise! Gorou, you didn't tell me you knew Ayame-chan!" "And you never told me that you knew her either.", Saitou (aka-Gorou) replied. "Yes I did! This is the girl I was telling you about! The one who helps the police force!" He turned to Ayame. "How are you Ayame-chan?" Ayame smiled. "I'm fine, thank you. You never mentioned it was Fujita-san you were visiting. What a small world it is. Officer Jirun, you remember Soujiro-kun right?" The man glanced at Soujiro. "Yes, of course I do! Have you guys had fun here in Tokyo?" Soujiro nodded. Everyone else's heads were spinning. "This..is so...confusing!", Yahiko stated. Ayame turned to them. "Oh I'm sorry! This is Officer Jirun. He's the chief of police in Sokada. That's the town I live in. I often help him out catching thieves and such." "Ahhhh.", they all said in unison. Saitou cut in. "This is the girl? Very well. Come with us Ayame-chan. We have a matter of business to discuss." He turned to Kenshin. "You should come too Battousai." "Alright, but if we come so should everyone else. Is that acceptable?", Ayame requested. "Whatever. Just hurry up." With that, everyone followed him to the back of the store.  
  
End Of Chapter  
  
AN: Yes..on with the next chapter...hehehehe. I'm getting closer to the end so keep reviewing until then! And thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far! Apparently I'm a talented writer! Teehee! lol. Arigatou and Sayonara! 


	18. Party Hard

AN: I have to say, I am EXTREMLY SORRY for not updating in so long! I have been really busy, but I promise I will try my best to update! To tell you the truth, I think my writing skills have dimmed a bit. When I read my earlier chapters, they seemed a lot better than what I come up with now. It's probably from lack of updating. -_-; Gomen-asai and Please Review!  
  
End Of Last Chapter: "This is the girl? Very well. Come with us Ayame-chan. We have a matter of business to discuss." He turned to Kenshin. "You should come too Battousai." "Alright, but if we come so should everyone else. Is that acceptable?", Ayame requested. "Whatever. Just hurry up." With that, everyone followed him to the back of the store.  
  
Chapter Eighteen: Party Hard  
  
Everyone went to the back of the store and sat in a room that resembled a kitchen. Saitou spoke first. "The police have gained information that the leader of a very powerful mafia in Shang Hai is coming here. They say he's on a mission to kill someone, but we don't know who. Officer Jirun was the one to inform me and suggested that you would be of some assistance." He looked at Ayame. She wasn't smiling this time. "Of course. And I assume you thought that Kenshin-sama would be helpful too, neh?" "Yes." "What do you say, Kenshin?" Ayame gave him a look that told him this was 'the one seeking revenge'. "Alright." "Agreed. We'll inform you when we get more information. You may go now." With that, everyone left. That's when Kaoru remembered. "Hey! I forgot to tell you guys! I won some money in a draw!" "How much?", Sano asked interested. "Let's just say quite a bit!" He grinned. "Then let's have a party tonight!..er..to celebrate Ayame and Misao's reunion!", he added quickly. For once Kaoru agreed. "Alright! Party tonight!"  
  
Scene Change- The Party  
  
Kaoru had bought a lot of food and drinks for the party. Everyone ate a lot, and Sano had challenged Kenshin to a drinking game. Of course, Sano had won. Kaoru and Misao were tipsy, Aoshi just ate, and Yahiko was continuously trying to get some sake for himself. "Sou-chan, would you pour me some sake?" Ayame held up her glass. "Sure." He poured her some, and she for him. They both sipped it, as they were both moderate drinkers and never liked getting drunk. "Excuse me for a moment." Ayame went to the back room to get her gift for Soujiro. Too bad for her, Sano was in there after slipping himself some extra drinks. "Oh, hey Sano." She smiled at him. "Hey." She proceeded to her bag to get the gift when Sano went up to her. "Hey, tell me, why did you picked a shrimp like him when you could have a real man like myself?" His words were a bit slurred, but not much, as his body was used to large amounts of alcohol. Soujiro went to the back room not knowing they were there. He stopped at the door and listened. "For one, he's not a shrimp. He's very kawaii." She gave off a big smile. "Secound, I love him very much, and third, since I love him so much, I wouldn't dare try to hurt him by being with someone else." Sano just 'pffed'. "What? Do you find something wrong with that?" Sano went close to her and said "I can be loved to, yanoe." Ayame backed away. "I'm sure you can, but not from me." He inched closer. "And why not?" "Because I would NEVER betray Soujiro like that." Sano grinned evilly and replied, "Let's just see about that." He grabbed her and put a deep kiss on her lips. She felt his hands going up her kimono. She was too stunned to do anything for a secound. Standing by the doorway, Soujiro had seen everything. His first impulse was to beat the hell out of Sano, but then her words rang in his mind. 'I would NEVER betray Soujiro like that.' He decided to see if she would stick by her words, even if the answer hurt. By now Ayame had overcome her shock and pushed Sano away from her. She tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her leg. Again, his hands started going places. That was it. She turned around and gave him a hard kick in the face that sent him flying back to the wall. She stayed where she was but looked at him in extreme disgust. "If you weren't one of the good guys, I would kill you now. That and the fact that at the moment you are incredibly horny and drunk, I won't harm you further. But if you EVER try a stunt like that again, I WILL hurt you." She pulled down her kimono and headed towards the door. That was when she saw Soujiro standing there. His face showed so many complex emotions, so she could tell he was just as shocked as she was. But something also told her he was also relieved that she handled it the way she did. She ran up to him and pushed him out of Sano's sight. "Soujiro...I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, I..." "Sorry? You shouldn't be sorry." She looked at him in confusion. "What?" "You kept your word. You didn't betray me." He ran his fingers through her hair. She smiled a smile of relief. "I never would." They embraced each other. "But tell me if he ever tries something like that again. I'll make him regret it." Ayame gave him a worried look, but agreed. Then they went back to the party. Sano on the other hand, was sitting on the floor holding his face. Within a minute, he passed out.  
  
End Of Chapter  
  
AN: Hey don't worry. Like Ayame said, Sano was just very drunk and horny. He wouldn't have done that if he hadn't drank so much. So no, I'm not making Sano a bad guy, he's just a bit jealous. So again, NO I'm not making him a bad guy. Please read the next chapter to find out what Sano does when he wakes up with a really bad hangover! ^_~ 


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